South Africa vs Australia, 2nd T20I

So Australia lead the 3-match series 1-0 with one game to go. Join us back on Friday for the decider. Until then, take care and goodbye!

Hodge: "The old guys did alright tonight I guess. Hoggy bowled well and I was able to pull it off with the bat in the end. South Africa had the momentum when they got Warner, he was going great guns. I am very grateful to have travelled all around the world to play for different T20 sides. Unfortunately, Test cricket didn't work out for me but looks like T20 fits me perfectly."

Hodge is the Man of the Match.

Bailey: "Very happy, few positives for us. Obviously, Hodgy and Warner were on top of their game tonight. I thought the guys were switched on for a shortened game which was good to see. Looking forward to the final game."

Faf: "A 7-over game is really hectic. You just try to brute every ball and then in the field you hope for some luck. In a game like this, the start is always important. I thought the boys pulled it back nicely after a costly first over. Quinton was impressive tonight, incredible striking. We can't look too much into the weather."

South Africa regained control after a poor first over from Tsotsobe with the wicket of Finch in the second over. Watson didn't last long either but Warner batted very well to smash the bowlers all over the park. A double-strike from Duminy brought South Africa back in the game again. With 28 needed off the last 2 overs, Hodge held his nerve and hit some lusty blows in the final over to take Australia home with 2 balls to spare.

6.5 Parnell to Hodge, wide, Australia seal the game. Short delivery down the leg side, Hodge misses the pull but anyway the umpire's hands were outstretched. Phew! What a game of cricket!

6.4 Parnell to Hodge, SIX, that should be the game. Low full toss on the leg stump, Hodge smashes it flat over the deep mid-wicket fence. What batting this from Hodge, under extreme pressure. Scores level

6.3 Parnell to Hodge, SIX, stunning hit from the veteran! 146 kph full delivery, almost a yorker, somehow Hodge manages to muscle it way over the deep mid-wicket fence. Australia aren't out of it yet!

6.2 Parnell to Haddin, leg byes, 1 run, goes across the sticks and tries to play it to square leg but misses. Parnell appeals for LBW but the impact was outside off

6.1 Parnell to Hodge, 1 run, full delivery on the leg stump, Hodge doesn't manage to loft it high enough, the ball goes on the bounce to long-on

Wayne Parnell [1.0-0-3-1] is back into the attack

15 runs to get! Who'll hold the nerve?

5.6 Beuran Hendricks to Hodge, 1 run, full on the pads, Hodge flicks it to deep square leg. What a comeback from Hendricks after conceding a boundary early on

5.5 Beuran Hendricks to Haddin, 1 run, low full toss on the leg stump, Haddin drives it to long-on. This time they don't chance Miller's arm

5.4 Beuran Hendricks to Haddin, 2 runs, full delivery outside off stump, Haddin lofts it inside out to deep extra-cover, three fielders converge to keep it down to two

5.3 Beuran Hendricks to Hodge, 1 run, a perfect yorker from Hendricks, Hodge could only to dig it out to mid-on

5.1 Beuran Hendricks to Hodge, out Bailey Run Out!! 1 run completed. There was never a second run in it and Australia are in all sorts of trouble. Full delivery on the leg stump, Hodge drives it wide of long-on, Bailey charges for the second that wasn't there, sent back and Miller's throw was spot on from the deep and de Kock breaks the stumps in a flash. Bailey run out (D Miller/de Kock) 2(2)

Beuran Hendricks to Hodge, THATS OUT!! Run Out!!

5.1 Beuran Hendricks to Hodge, wide, this one is way outside off stump and the umpire doesn't like the width on that

5.1 Beuran Hendricks to Hodge, no ball, FOUR, oh he's missed his radar. High full toss above waist height outside off stump, Hodge doesn't try to do anything fancy, just cuts it powerfully over backward point. Good start to the over for Australia

Beuran Hendricks [1.0-0-18-0] is back into the attack

4.6 Duminy to Hodge, 1 run, flatter delivery outside off stump, Hodge guides it to short third man and gets off the mark. 5 runs and 2 wickets in the over

Brad Hodge, right handed bat, comes to the crease

4.5 Duminy to Maxwell, out Caught by du Plessis!! Carved but straight to the man! Full outside off stump, Maxwell swings too hard at that and doesn't get the elevation, the South African skipper takes a fine catch to his right at cover-point. Two wickets in the over! What a turnaround. Maxwell c du Plessis b Duminy 1(3)

Duminy to Maxwell, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

4.4 Duminy to Bailey, 1 run, advances again but Duminy fires it wide outside off stump, Bailey could only drill it to long-off

4.3 Duminy to Maxwell, 1 run, short again, Maxwell pulls it on the bounce to deep mid-wicket

4.2 Duminy to Bailey, 1 run, advances and flicks the flighted delivery to mid-wicket, looks for the second but the fielder was quick to get to the ball

George Bailey, right handed bat, comes to the crease

4.1 Duminy to Warner, out Lbw!! What a strike! JP Duminy you beauty! Again the Harbhajan like action works for him. Fires this full, Warner goes for the switch hit but was beaten by the pace, he misses and is struck plumb in front the sticks. Massive wicket for the Proteas! Game on now. Warner lbw b Duminy 40(16) [4s-5 6s-2]

Duminy to Warner, THATS OUT!! Lbw!!

Jean-Paul Duminy, right-arm off break, comes into the attack

3.6 Parnell to Warner, 1 run, a couple of steps across the stumps and drives the full delivery to long-off

3.5 Parnell to Warner, no run, full and wide outside off stump, 147 kph, Warner slashes and misses

3.4 Parnell to Maxwell, leg byes, 1 run, short of length delivery on the off stump, Maxwell misses the pull, the ball rolls to point

Glenn Maxwell, right handed bat, comes to the crease

3.3 Parnell to Watson, out Caught by Kyle Abbott!! Full toss outside off stump, Watson smashes it straight into the hands of cover. A soft dismissal that in the context of the game. Normally, Watson would have backed himself to send that out of the ground. Watson c Kyle Abbott b Parnell 2(3)

Parnell to Watson, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

Watson's OUT!

3.2 Parnell to Warner, 1 run, low full toss outside off stump, Warner smashes it to deep mid-wicket, only a single

3.1 Parnell to Watson, 1 run, full outside off stump, Watson squeezes it to third man

Wayne Parnell, left-arm fast medium, comes into the attack

2.6 Beuran Hendricks to Warner, 2 runs, 'out, out, noooo' says the commentator on air! Fantastic effort from Parnell at sweeper cover. Full delivery outside off stump, Warner carves it powerfully, the fielder runs to his left and catches the ball, as he was too close to the rope he releases the ball and while trying to grab it after recovering his ground, he spills it

2.5 Beuran Hendricks to Warner, FOUR, how do you stop this man? Slower delivery on the stumps, just a fraction too short. Warner helps it past short fine leg and Abbot gives up the chase

2.4 Beuran Hendricks to Warner, FOUR, it's all working for the pocket rocket! Full and wide outside off stump, Warner loses the bottom hand grip as he tries to smash this one, an outside edge results and it goes very fine to beat third man

2.3 Beuran Hendricks to Warner, SIX, oh close your eyes Hendricks, close your eyes! Short of a length delivery on the stumps, the margin for error against this man is so little, Warner stands tall and bludgeons it flat over the deep mid-wicket fence. That's gone into the gutters!

1.6 Kyle Abbott to Warner, 1 run, fantastic ball. Full delivery following Warner as he makes room, attempts the flick and only manages to edge it onto pad, Watson calls for a quick single and makes his ground. Great over from Abbott, South Africa needed it after a poor opening over from Tsotsobe

1.5 Kyle Abbott to Warner, no run, Warner wanted to put that into the sea. Short of a length delivery, nipping away, Warner swings hard and across the line but doesn't make contact

1.4 Kyle Abbott to Warner, FOUR, full and angling away from the left hander, Warner opens himself up and slaps it wide of mid-off and it races away

Shane Watson, right handed bat, comes to the crease

1.3 Kyle Abbott to Finch, out Caught by Amla!! Good bowling from Abbott and South Africa get their first wicket. A massive one indeed. Good length delivery on the leg stump, Finch tries to play the pick-up shot, but mistimes it completely, mid-wicket takes a few steps back and takes a fine catch. Finch c Amla b Kyle Abbott 5(5) [4s-1]

Kyle Abbott to Finch, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

1.2 Kyle Abbott to Finch, no run, Finch backs away, Abbott follows him nicely, no room to work with, Finch tries to flick it away but is hit on the pad again

1.1 Kyle Abbott to Finch, no run, hurries Finch with an inswinging short of length delivery, the batsman is hit on the pad

Kyle Abbott, right-arm medium, comes into the attack

0.6 Tsotsobe to Warner, FOUR, makes room, Tsotsobe follows him with a full delivery, Warner lofts it high over extra-cover, the ball teases the fielder and just wins the race. 21 off the first over, chasing over 10 an over, just what your captain wanted

0.5 Tsotsobe to Warner, SIX, well, Australia are off to a flier. At this rate, they could well finish this off with an over to spare. Short of a length delivery on the leg stump, Warner was cramped for room but he employs the short-arm-jab-pull and it clears the deep square leg fence easily

0.4 Tsotsobe to Warner, 2 runs, slower delivery on the stumps, Warner flicks it over the infield between deep mid-wicket and long-on. The ball plugs to keep them down to two

0.3 Tsotsobe to Warner, FOUR, can't stray down the leg side with short fine leg in place. Warner simply waits for the ball and helps it on its way over the infield and Warner gets his first boundary

0.2 Tsotsobe to Finch, 1 run, in the air but it doesn't carry to deep mid-wicket. Finch doesn't time the pull all that well, luckily, it drops short

0.1 Tsotsobe to Finch, FOUR, message loud and clear. See the ball, hit the ball. Full and gentle outside off stump, Finch smashes it hard along the ground to the right of mid-off. The fielder hardly moved on that occasion. Australia off the mark in style

Finch and Warner are at the crease. Finch is on strike. Tsotsobe will open the attack

Fasten your seat belts. Warner, Finch out there with their willows.

Great start for Australia with the ball. South Africa were not many for the loss of Hashim Amla but young Quinton de Kock batted exceptionally well alongside skipper Faf du Plessis to give the hosts a fighting total. Shane Watson's 14-run over kicked things off for the Proteas who managed to find the fence at will since then. This is certainly not out of Australia's reach. Aaron Finch and David Warner walking out to bat, you would argue that you will chase down any target. Don't go too far away, a cracking 7 overs on the way.

6.6 Starc to de Kock, byes, 1 run, he'll feel he's missed out on a boundary ball. Full and in the slot, probably extra pace from the bowler and the ball beat de Kock's wild swing. Anyway, du Plessis steals a bye to take the hosts to 80

6.6 Starc to de Kock, 5 wides, pressure, pressure telling on Starc. Fires the inswinging yorker down the leg side, Haddin's full length dive wasn't good enough to stop the ball

Change of ball meanwhile.

6.5 Starc to de Kock, SIX, I tell you what! He was off balance while he met the ball, yet, he's managed to time that well enough to clear the fence. Slower ball bouncer, de Kock was walking forward. The height was awkward for him as it was rising high but that doesn't stop him from playing the pull, the ball just escapes the man at deep square leg

6.4 Starc to de Kock, SIX, oh he connects one again. Full delivery on the off stump, de Kock lofts it straight down the ground, the ball clears the fence. Just what South Africa wanted to close the innings on a high

6.3 Starc to du Plessis, 1 run, angles the good length delivery back into the right-hander, du Plessis tries to flick but gets an inside edge onto pad. de Kock calls for a run and makes his ground

6.2 Starc to de Kock, byes, 1 run, oh that's a cracking ball. Perfect inswinging yorker, also following de Kock as he made room, the batsman takes his foot out of the way, du Plessis charges to the striker's end to steal a bye and succeeds

6.1 Starc to du Plessis, 1 run, round the wicket, low full outside off stump, du Plessis made too much room that he could only edge it to third man

Mitchell Starc [1.0-0-5-0] is back into the attack

Okay, last over now. South Africa will be looking for at least 15.

5.6 Coulter-Nile to de Kock, SIX, Coulter-Nile misses the yorker and it goes on the full, de Kock waits and absolutely belts it way over the long-on fence. Gee! That was some hit by the youngster. 50 of the partnership comes up as well

5.5 Coulter-Nile to du Plessis, 1 run, full and outside off stump, driven to cover

5.4 Coulter-Nile to du Plessis, FOUR, that'll do! Doesn't matter if it comes off the edge or off the middle of the bat. Full and on the stumps, du Plessis swings hard and gets an inside edge that goes very fine to fine leg

5.3 Coulter-Nile to de Kock, 1 run, full and wide outside off stump, de Kock drills it straight to sweeper cover

5.2 Coulter-Nile to de Kock, no run, fantastic slower ball from Coulter-Nile, de Kock had no clue of it's arrival, he was lucky that it was not in line with the stumps

5.1 Coulter-Nile to de Kock, FOUR, friendly full toss and de Kock takes the gift from the bowler. Round the wicket allows the batsman to swing it over mid-wicket and beats the man in the deep

Nathan Coulter-Nile [1.0-0-1-1] is back into the attack

4.6 Christian to du Plessis, 2 runs, full and wide outside off stump, du Plessis crashes the drive to deep extra-cover, but the man in the deep keeps it down to two. 16 came off that over, handy one for the hosts

Bailey and Christian have a conference now.

4.5 Christian to du Plessis, SIX, oh that's a stunning hit. Can't bowl length at this stage and certainly not to this man. du Plessis waits for the ball smashes this across the line, the ball goes high into the night sky over deep mid-wicket

4.4 Christian to du Plessis, SIX, why do you need those fancy shots when you can time a cricket ball like that? Full delivery outside off stump, du Plessis dances down the track and absolutely smashes it way over the long-off fence

4.3 Christian to du Plessis, no run, this time gets across the stumps and tries to glance it away but doesn't make contact

4.2 Christian to du Plessis, FOUR, shortish as the batsman advances, du Plessis smashes it straight down the ground and beats long-on. Top quality shot that!

4.1 Christian to du Plessis, no run, makes room and tries to work it away very fine towards third man but this short of length delivery zooms past the outside edge

Daniel Christian, right-arm medium, comes into the attack

3.6 Watson to de Kock, 2 runs, friendly full toss outside off stump, de Kock slices it over cover and the fielder in the deep runs to his left to tidy up as it plugs in the outfield

3.5 Watson to de Kock, no run, low full toss wide outside off stump, de Kock squeezes it straight to backward point and they don't want to chance Warner's arm

3.4 Watson to du Plessis, 1 run, in the air but just short of backward point. Good length delivery outside off stump, du Plessis cuts it straight to the man

3.3 Watson to de Kock, 1 run, smashed again but there is protection in the deep and only a single to long-off

3.2 Watson to de Kock, SIX, even better. Watson misses his length again. Overpitched and right in the slot, de Kock lofts it handsomely over the bowler's head and it sails over long-off

3.1 Watson to de Kock, FOUR, ah! Finally a cracking shot to the fence. Juicy full delivery outside off stump, de Kock smashes it over mid-off's head and it rockets to the boundary

Shane Watson, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack

2.6 B Hogg to de Kock, 1 run, Hogg cramps de Kock for room with a quicker delivery as he shuffles in the crease, eventually only a single possible as he turns it to mid-wicket

2.5 B Hogg to de Kock, no run, given a bit more air, de Kock tries to muscle it out of the ground, but he swings too hard and misses

2.4 B Hogg to du Plessis, 1 run, the googly this time, du Plessis turns it to mid-wicket

2.3 B Hogg to de Kock, 1 run, shimmies down the track and smashes the flighted delivery on the bounce to long-on

2.2 B Hogg to de Kock, 2 runs, pulled away to deep mid-wicket, they are quickly back for the second. de Kock lost his bat while running the second

2.1 B Hogg to de Kock, no run, shortish and turning away, cut straight to the fielder

Brad Hogg, left-arm chinaman, comes into the attack

1.6 Coulter-Nile to du Plessis, no run, huge shout for caught behind, nothing from the bowler though. Umpire's unmoved! Short of a length delivery outside off stump, du Plessis pokes at it and misses. Haddin and the slips went up immediately, but didn't get any support from Coulter-Nile. What a start this for Australia. Oh well, there was an edge there

Faf du Plessis, right handed bat, comes to the crease

1.5 Coulter-Nile to Amla, out Caught&Bowled!! Not so sure if South Africa will mind this wicket! Amla wasn't able to place the ball into the gap and eventually he has perished now. Fullish delivery on the off stump, Amla was late on the drive, ends up hitting it straight back towards the bowler, who grabs it very well in his follow-through. Amla c and b Coulter-Nile 4(9) [4s-1]

Coulter-Nile to Amla, THATS OUT!! Caught&Bowled!!

1.4 Coulter-Nile to Amla, no run, another play and a miss. Short of a length delivery outside off stump, Amla gets leg side of the ball slightly and tries to muscle it over cover but only manages to connect thin air

1.3 Coulter-Nile to Amla, no run, on a length and just outside off stump, bit of extra bounce beats Amla's back foot drive

1.2 Coulter-Nile to de Kock, 1 run, shortish and on the leg stump, helped away to backward square leg

1.1 Coulter-Nile to de Kock, no run, overpitched and driven nicely but the bowler quickly gets down in his follow-through to stop a certain boundary. That was hit hard but Coulter-Nile did exceedingly well to stop the ball

Nathan Coulter-Nile, right-arm fast, comes into the attack

0.6 Starc to Amla, no run, again, tries to negate the swing and whip it away, but misses. The ball brushes the pad on its way to Haddin. Half-shout from the keeper and the bowler

0.5 Starc to Amla, no run, goes across the stumps and send it over the man at short fine leg, but doesn't make contact. The short of a length, goes off the pad again

0.4 Starc to Amla, no run, hurries Amla this time. Short of a length swinging back in, another edge onto pad

0.4 Starc to Amla, wide, way outside off stump, easy call for the umpire

0.3 Starc to Amla, FOUR, misfield at cover-point. Nice and full outside off stump, not much of swing on this one, Amla frees his arms and drives off the front foot, Maxwell fumbles to give South Africa their first runs on the board

0.2 Starc to Amla, no run, fullish and just outside off stump, pushed to mid-off

0.1 Starc to Amla, no run, big swing for Starc straightaway. Good length delivery shaping back in nicely, Amla looks to play it across but gets an inside edge onto pad

Amla and de Kock are at the crease. Amla is on strike. Starc will open the attack

So then, let's gear-up for some riveting action. Game about to begin in a minute.

du Plessis: "To be honest, I was indecisive as well. The final call about the safety of the players lays with the umpires, it looks okay. Fantastic crowd, they have stayed here and hopefully it's a good game for us. These short games are tricky and it's important for us ahead of the World Cup. Beuran Hendricks is making his debut."

Bailey: "We are going to bowl. It'll be interesting to see how it pans out. We are not sure how it's going to play and that's why we are bowling. Starc and Finch, hopefully they can shine for us."

Australia have won the toss and have opted to field

20:15 Local Time, 18:15 GMT: The umpires are having an inspection now. They are having a close look at the huge saw-dust covered areas. 'The outfield is not fully dry but it's not too bad either reckons,' Mike Haysman on air. Okay official word in, 20:30 start, 7 overs per side.

20:10 Local Time, 18:10 GMT: The stumps are in place now but there is no word on the inspection yet. Remember, the cut-off time is 20:40.

19:55 Local Time, 17:55 GMT: Meanwhile, the players are doing their warm-ups. Looks like we've got a game.

19:50 Local Time, 17:50 GMT: The groundstaff are working on the outfield now. The wet areas get some saw dust.

19:35 Local Time, 17:35 GMT: Okay, fingers crossed! Rain has stopped and the covers are being removed.

19:10 Local Time, 17:10 GMT: The rain isn't that heavy at the moment but good enough to keep the covers on. The cut-off time for a 5-over game is 20:40 Local Time.

18:57 Local Time, 16:57 GMT: The rain is playing see-saw at the moment. Just when the covers were about to come off, the rain returned.

18:45 Local Time, 16:45 GMT: Absolutely no updates on the current situation at the ground. We have started losing overs by the way.

18:18 Local Time, 16:18 GMT: Cricket Australia have just tweeted that the rain has gotten heavier and the groundsmen are rushing out with the bigger covers. So the delay continues...

17:52 Local Time, 15:52 GMT: Oopsy! The rain is back now and out come the covers again.

17:50 Local Time, 15:50 GMT: Things are getting better. The covers have come off now and the umpires will take a look at the pitch in 10 minutes.

17:40 Local Time, 15:40 GMT: Meanwhile, the latest news is that the umpires will conduct an inspection at 18:00 Local Time.

17:30 Local Time, 15:30 GMT: The covers are still on and that means the toss will be delayed. We could still get a full 20-over game if we start at 18:30 Local Time, but with the amount of water on the covers, looks like it's very difficult to get the game underway by then. But first up, the rain has to ease out.

The entire square has been covered and the Australian dressing room is looking very dull with players looking at the sky. There is a lot of water on the covers and the groundstaff are going to have a tough day at the office today.

Not great news folks! There is rain forecast throughout the duration of the game in Durban. Just what cricket fans didn't want as we are building up to the World T20 later this week. Hello and a warm welcome to the second T20I. Both South Africa and Australia would have loved to get some all important match practice ahead of the mega event but the weather is playing spoilsport. The fact that the first of the three T20I games was washed out without a ball being bowled makes things worse for the team managements. But anyway, we'll keep our fingers crossed and hope for some better pictures on the radar.

Preview

After the exciting Test series, it was a dampener at Port Elizabeth as the first T20I was a complete wash-out. The World T20 is just a few days away, and both Australia and South Africa would have ideally loved to go into the tournament on the back of some quality match-practise. The series now moves across to Durban, and unfortunately it looks like the rain has followed them here as well. The forecast is for more showers as the day progresses, something that will not please the two outfits.

Australia:

Despite all the rain, Australia have retained plenty of optimism over their chances in the upcoming World T20 tournament. They came into this series on the back of a 3-0 whitewash against England. Aaron Finch and Cameron White were in excellent form against England and it will be interesting to see who drops down the order to accommodate the returning David Warner.

Skipper George Bailey has led from the front and the presence of power-hitters like Shane Watson and Glenn Maxwell makes this Australian batting outfit truly spectacular.

The return of James Faulkner provides versatility to the Australian bowling line-up. With Mitchell Starc in great touch, the pace department looks well stocked, even in the absence of Mitchell Johnson. Veteran spinner, Brad Hogg is out with an injury but that will mean another opportunity to the impressive leg-spinner, James Muirhead.

South Africa:

After swallowing the bitter pill in the Tests, the T20s provided the ideal stage for the hosts to make a comeback. With rain playing spoilsport, some of the carefully laid plans has been busted. The batting looks in good shape with skipper, Faf du Plessis, Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers, all showing form during the Tests. Quinton de Kock has established himself in the shorter formats of the game while David Miller and Albie Morkel add strength to the lower middle order.

South Africa's bowling looms good even in the absence of Dale Steyn. Morne Morkel is the leader of the pack that includes the tried and tested Lonwabo Tostsobe, Wayne Parnell and the talented Beuran Hendricks. Imran Tahir and Aaron Phangiso, the two spinners will be expected to keep a tight leash on things.

Weather Conditions:

All plans and preparations might eventually come to nought as heavy showers has been predicted.

Quotes:

This is the best squad we've ever assembled in Twenty20 cricket: Shane Watson is confident about the chances of Australia in the upcoming T20 WC.

Imi is very important to me. He's as big a strike bowler as Dale Steyn is to our team: Faf du Plessis is banking on Imran Tahir to do a good job.